OUTLINING YOUR SPEECHCommunication Applications

Mrs. Eberwine

WHAT IS AN OUTLINE?

Outline- The speaker’s map. It is the way that you give form and direction to your organization.Allows you to know not only where

you are going but also where you are and where you have been.

Keeps you on track!

HOW DO YOU MAKE AN OUTLINE? Even though you outline your speech, most of your

outlining will deal with the body. Let’s use the body to examine outlining:

Purpose StatementI. Main heading (Roman numeral)

A. Supporting material (capital letter)1. Detail (number)

EXAMPLE:The purpose of this speech is to show my audience the

serious harms related to smoking.I. Smoking can lead to significant health problems for

the smoker.A. Lung disease often results.B. Thousands die each year.C. Members of my family are among the victims

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE STATEMENT? Purpose Statement- closely associated with

the thesis given at the end of your introduction.

It is placed near the top of your paper (without Roman numerals, letters, or numbers) and states both your selected speech topic and your specific purpose in speaking.

Your purpose statement is the most IMPORTANT part of your speech.

Everything else spoken- whether in the introduction, the body, or the conclusion- will fall under its direction.

EXAMPLE PURPOSE STATEMENTSThe purpose of this speech is to inform the

audience about the pros and cons of midyear high school graduation for seniors.

The purpose of this speech is to explain to the audience the steps that a person must go through to become certified in lifesaving.

The purpose of this speech is to persuade the group that immediate action must be taken if we wish to save our local environment.

LOOK AT THE SAMPLE OUTLINE…

HIGHLIGHT THE PURPOSE

STATEMENT YELLOW!

MAIN HEADINGS After you have determined your purpose

statement, you need to decide what your main headings will be.

Main Headings- the major divisions, areas, or arguments of your purpose statement.

They represent the main ideas that you wish to analyze.

Indicated by the use of Roman Numerals.

MAIN HEADINGS EXAMPLE:If this is your purpose statement:

The purpose of this speech is to show my audience the serious harms related to smoking.

The main headings might read as follows:

I. Smoking can lead to significant health problems for the smoker.

II. Smoking can even affect the health of others innocently in the vicinity of the smoker.

III. Smoking can contribute to economic problems.

LOOK AT THE SAMPLE OUTLINE…

UNDERLINE THE MAIN HEADINGS

BLUE!

SUPPORTING MATERIAL Supporting material- provide intensification

and reinforcement for the main headings. They are listed under the main headings. Each main heading has its own supporting

statements. Supporting materials make up the “Now I

would like to get more specific” sections of the speech.

It is in these sections that you present the examples, personal stories, and pertinent observations that all audiences need to hear if they are going to believe you.

Identified by capital letters.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER Your supporting material must be logically

narrower and more specific than your main headings.

Will not only support each main heading, but will also link back to support the purpose statement.

Don’t have to be written out in great detail. Most of the time, a key word or phrase

should be enough to jog your memory and allow your speaking talents and your preparation to take over.

LOOK AT THE EXAMPLE OUTLINE…

HIGHLIGHT THE SUPPORTING

MATERIAL PINK!

AN OUTLINE IS NOT…

supposed to be a substitute for memory!

Ultimately it is up to YOU to be familiar with your material, to remember what you want to say.

DETAILS Details narrow the outline even further,

providing information that breaks down the supporting material to pinpoint accuracy.

When you get to the detail part of your outline, you will almost always be able to include exact names, dates, events, numbers, or personal accounts that will impress your listeners and solidify your point.

Can give life to your speech. Will draw your audience in and make them

feel a part of your speech which is one of your goals.

EXAMPLE DETAILSI. Smoking can lead to significant health problems for the

smokerA. Lung disease often results

1. Men are at 40 percent greater risk than women.2. Smoking causes over 60% of all lung problems.

B. Thousands die each year.1. 390,000 die annually.2. Over 100,000 are under the age of 50.3. 20 percent are teenagers.

C. Members of my family are among the victims.1. My grandfather died from lung disease caused by

smoking.2. My father has to take oxygen twice a week.

LOOK AT THE SAMPLE OUTLINE…

HIGHLIGHT THE EXAMPLE DETAILS ORANGE!

PROPER OUTLINING FORM Notice how the various parts of the outline are

indented differently. The indentations indicate the subordination

(importance) of ideas. Also notice the use of periods after each

Roman numeral, letter, and number. You should have at least 2 main headings.

If you have an A, you should at least have a B. If you have a 1, then you should have a 2, and so on.

Outline means order, order means effective organization, and effective organization means you’ll be in charge. What the bones are to the body, the outline is to the speech.

ORGANIZATION PATTERNS Five patterns of organization for a speech:

1. Chronological Pattern

2. Climactic Pattern

3. Spatial Pattern

4. Cause-Effect Pattern

5. Problem-Solution Pattern

CHRONOLOGICAL PATTERN Chronological Pattern- puts things in a

time sequence, or in the order in which they happened.

Excellent choice if you want your audience to see the parts of your speech building into a complete picture from beginning to end.

CHRONOLOGICAL PATTERN EXAMPLE:

The Role of the Political Cartoon in Shaping Public ViewsI. Colonial times

II. Revolutionary days III. Current happenings

The Evolution of Batman as a Heroic FigureI. Initial comic book portrayalII. 1950s and 1960s TV show portrayalIII. 1990s movie portrayal

CLIMACTIC PATTERN Climactic pattern- you organize your main

headings in order of importance. You often want to save your most important point for last.

This type of organization can give your speech dramatic impact because it allows the speech to build in significance.

CLIMACTIC PATTERN EXAMPLE:Types of Crime in America

I. ShopliftingII. White-collar crimeIII. Violent crime

The death of John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife, and her sisterI. Plane dives in sea of Martha’s VineyardII. Millions mournIII. Conclusion that crash probably caused by

inexperience.

SPATIAL PATTERN Spatial pattern- you are dividing up your

topic on the basis of space relationships.

Advantage of this arrangement is that your audience can see how the body of your speech fits together by the spatial layout picture that you create for them.

SPATIAL PATTERN EXAMPLE…Introducing the Modern School

I. Library is the central hub.II. Classrooms radiate from the library.III. Offices are extensions.

The World of DrugsI. North American involvementII. Central American involvementIII. Asian involvement

CAUSE-EFFECT PATTERN Cause Effect Pattern- you are saying to

your listeners, “because of that, this happened.”

In other words, the one area (the cause) leads directly to the other area (the effect).

Often the main headings in a cause-effect outline will be the words cause and effect, and the supporting materials will supply an analysis.

CAUSE-EFFECT PATTERN EXAMPLE…Anorexia

I. Causes A. Media influences B. Low self-esteemII. Effects A. Physical problems B. Emotional problems

Child AbuseI. Major causes A. Cycle of violence B. Drug and alcohol abuseII. Major effects A. Physical harm B. Mental harm C. Social Harm

PROBLEM-SOLUTION PATTERN Problem-solution pattern- does exactly

what it says: It presents a problem and then provides ideas about how the problem can be solved.

This method (like the cause-effect pattern) is very logical and gives you an opportunity to show some insightful analysis in areas that are easy for your audience to follow.

PROBLEM-SOLUTION EXAMPLE…There Is a Need to Recycle

I. Problems A. Lack of knowledge B. Economics C. Lack of incentiveII. Solutions A. Education in schools and the media B. Government encouragement C. Personal commitment

THE CONCLUSION It has been said that if you want to deliver a

good speech to your audience you should “tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, tell ‘em, and then tell ‘em what you told ‘em” Basically your speech needs an intro that

previews your specific purpose in speaking. Next, your speech needs a body that proves your

point. Finally, your speech needs a conclusion that

wraps up what you have to say in a neat communication package.

CONCLUSION EXAMPLE…#1 In conclusion, you have seen how laughter can make you a more productive and effective worker, a more sensitive friend and family member, and an even healthier person. I think that after hearing that laughter can actually help us overcome serious illness and can help terminally ill patients live two to four years longer, we should all start to smile. So, let’s establish and maintain a “laughing attitude.” We can all do it- and it costs nothing. #2 Therefore, the words that you heard at the beginning of this speech, “Let a smile be your umbrella,” might be sound advice. Go ahead and laugh. Hopefully, the world will laugh with you!

The conclusion effectively summarizes the major points of the speech and restates the thesis (indicated by #1). It also offers a final clincher section, or a final impression (indicated by #2).

THE SUMMARY The first part of your conclusion. Should remind your audience of the main

headings, or major areas of analysis, that you covered in your speech.

Should not become so repetitive that your audience is left saying, “Wait a minute! Didn’t you already tell me that?”

Repeat your speech thesis in your summary. Reminds your audience the point you were trying

to make. Summary is a quick wrap up. Get to the

point and move on.

FINAL CLINCHER OR FINAL IMPRESSION Just as it is to make a good first impression, it is

important to make a solid final impression. Your final statement ends your speech, clinches

your argument, and makes a memorable final impression.

Asking a question, making a startling statement, giving a quotation, telling a story, or making references can work for you at the end of your speech as well as the beginning.

You might consider ending it the way you started.

The words that you choose to end your speech must: Fit the mood of your speech. Make sense Bring some finality to your speech so that your

audience realizes you have finished.